"I've never felt better in my life," flight commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, 54, said just after docking while sailing high over the South Pacific, according to Space.com.

The rocket lifted off at 4:31 p.m. EDT from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, streaking through clear, pre-dawn skies as it headed into orbit.

It also carried NASA's Karen Nyberg, a 43-year-old mechanical engineer on her second flight, and Luca Parmitano, 36, a major in the Italian Air Force. The new crew members will spend the next six months in space.

They are scheduled to perform five spacewalks to prepare the complex for the installation of the Russian Multipurpose Laboratory Module in December, as well as a Nov. 9 spacewalk to take the Olympic torch outside, according to NASA.

The crew also will welcome the arrival of several visiting cargo vehicles.

The work we do has never been more important — whether it’s because of “news” that might not be news at all or healing the deep divides in our country. Now more than ever, we need conversation, perspective and diverse voices. Will you support PRI in our efforts to create a more informed empathetic world?